“Thank you,” she says quietly to me… and just leaves. I expected thunder, yelling, and lightning, maybe a punch to Jake’s face… but she just leaves without another word. And it bugs me. It bugs me more than I care to admit.
Jake returns to his desk a moment later and stands in front of me, his chest puffed like he’s a little baboon. A little baboon who’s about to get his ass beaten by a gorilla. I’m about one snide remark away from pounding on my chest and wiping the floor with his smug face.
“Happy now?” he asks bitterly, as if it had been my fault that he was a piece of shit abusing his position of power.
“You’re gonna let Kenneth know about that.” Is all I can manage at the moment without strangling him.
“Or what?” he challenges, straightening his shoulders.
“Or I will,” I answer through clenched teeth.
He thinks for a second. “I’ll let him know,” he says dismissively, then adds with a note of disbelief, “Huh. You really put her above your own family. Above your own brother.”
I take a careful step toward him, and he doesn't back down—it looks like he grew some balls after all, but he picked the wrong time for that. The worst time. “You’re my brother, and that’s exactly why Iwilltell him. I don’t like the person you’re becoming.” Then I look straight into his eyes, and he flinches, unable to hold my gaze. “Hell, I don’t like the person you’ve already become, and I don’t want you to disappear further down that road. That’s why I will tell him, Jake. But I’ll give you the opportunity to be a man and do it yourself first.” I give him one last menacing look and stride outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
She’s far down the road, slowly walking toward the diner. It’s a long walk from here, and it started to drizzle while I was inside the station. I jump into my truck and drive toward her. When I reach her, I stop the car and roll the window down. “Get in the truck.” I sound rough after my argument with Jake. I can’t help it. For the first time in forever, I think I want to sound softer with her.
She stops, startled. “No, Justin. I’m fine.” She continues her walk, not paying attention to me anymore.
“Get in the truck, Kayla.” I say with a sigh. Her head whips toward me, her eyes as big as saucers, big and unblinking. “What?” I ask.
“Never heard you call me by my name.” And with that, somebody from above pulls the stopper on the sky, and the rain pours down, soaking her to the bone in an instant.
“In the car. Now!” I bark, and she obeys. Fucking finally.
The scent of ozone and strawberries fills the cabin of my truck, and it instantly suffocates me. I’m trying to breathe through my mouth so I don’t smell it, but fucking strawberries tickle my nose. It makes my mouth water.
I quickly glance at her: she’s staring ahead. She’s right, though—I don’t recall ever calling her by her name. Maybe, a long time ago. But not for a long while.
“Jake’s an idiot, but he doesn’t mean any harm,” I start cautiously. But I know that isn't true. My brother goes overboard, and after recent events, he's even more edgy than usual.
She snorts and wipes her nose with her hand, staring blankly out the passenger side window. “Figures.”
“What?” I ask while staring at her, waiting for her to divert her attention from the passing scenery to me.
Her laughter is abrupt. “You got me in here so you can threaten me not to report your brother. Typical.” She’s tapping her finger on her knee.
“No,” I sigh. “That’s not why I wanted you to get in here.”
“Why, then?” She finally looks at me for the first time. I’ve never seen her this close before. Never. Her eyes are hazel, with deep chocolate streaks in them. Sparkly. Why are they sparkly? She sniffles and wipes her nose again. Oh fuck, that’s why. I’m used to seeing her taking all the shit thrown her way with a raised head and a steel spine, so I didn’t expect her to go all misty-eyed on me.
When I finally say, “It’s raining outside, and you don’t have your car,” her laughter is dark, sad, and very, very tired.
“Yeah, your brother made sure of that.”
I shake my head slightly. “Why don’t you pick it up?”
“Really? Do you think I have two grand just lying around, waiting to be spent on a car that’s older than me and probably isn’t even worth that much? Newsflash—I don’t.” She spits, flustered, and turns to stare ahead of her, fidgeting with her hair.
“Two grand?” I almost whistle.
“Yep.” She pops the P.
“How the fuck did you get two grand’s worth in tickets?”
She scoffs at this. “Ask your brother how.” She shrugs and pushes her hands under her thighs.
I squeeze the wheel. Yeah, he’s gotta stop that. I sigh and put the truck in drive. I need to find a way to get her car back. Jake is an asshole, and I need to remedy the situation. Even just a little.
